Trekking around Polino

Are you looking for a walking itinerary? Possibly among wild flowers and plants? As always, Umbria will delight you.

Whether you like trekking or mountainbiking, the most important thing is always to leave with a few essentials in your backpack and dive into the greenery, without looking back.

We suggest a really enticing excursion which starts from Colle Fergiara, an area renowned for its variegated vegetation but also for its recently discovered marine fossils which testify the deep transformations effected here over time through tectonic shifts.

This area is particularly suited to spring outings, when gentians, tulips and peonies release their scents and lively colours.

From here one easily reaches Salto del Cieco, the ancient border post which used to divide the Papal State and the Bourbon kingdom. There are still some old ruins to be seen, some restored but others left to themselves. Also worth seeing are the specimens of Aleppo pine tree, holms, and downy oaks.

We thus come to Polino, located at about 830 metres above sea level, and in the past part of the dominion of the Castelli family, rulers of Terni, who took advantage of Polino's strategic position. Near the main square, the town gate and a tower – which used to serve as a military office – are immediately noticeable. The castle, fountain, and Oesina tower are other monuments worth seeing in the historic centre, though the most striking thing around is the surrounding greenery. Only a few miles away one finds the Coscerno and Aspra mountains, or Piediluco Lake and Monteleone di Spoleto.

We continue our journey towards Colle Bertone, a town perched on a rocky hill, around which it is possible to find the fossilized remains of so-called sea-lilies and sea urchins.

Our final destination is La Pelosa Mountain, the highest peak in all of Terni province. From the summit it is possible to gaze over five Italian regions: an exceptional point to see all of the marvels of the Valnerina, the central Apennines, the Sibillini Mountains, the Laga and Gran Sasso. This destination is also ideal for lovers of animal-watching: if you're lucky, you can sight roe deer, foxes, squirrels, and various species of birds.